Sentence Correction

The first personal computers had severe hardware and software limitations similar to that of a modern wristwatch and so were unable to perform the complex operations necessary for today's processor-intensive applications.

The first personal computers had severe hardware and software limitations similar to that of a modern wristwatch
The first personal computers had severe hardware and software limitations similar to a modern wristwatch's
The severe hardware and software limitations of the first personal computers were similar to those of a modern wristwatch
The first personal computers' severe hardware and software limitations were similar to those of a modern wristwatch
The severe hardware and software limitations of the first personal computers were similar to that of a modern wristwatch

correct answer B--Source Veritas Prep test

Severe hardware and software problems is a plural.

This means that the pronoun reflecting it ('that' in A) would need to be plural (ie those) if used at all. This plural aspect helps us eliminate both A and E.

The secondary insight is that the pronoun makes the sentence less concise.

C and D both suffer from the bulky (to those of a) as opposed to B's (to a). This simpler phrasing is allowed by rephrasing the bulky language as a possessive (wristwatch's), which is always allowed as long as it does not change the meaning of the sentence.

Ben

Ben.Miller@ApexGMAT wrote:Severe hardware and software problems is a plural.

This means that the pronoun reflecting it ('that' in A) would need to be plural (ie those) if used at all. This plural aspect helps us eliminate both A and E.

The secondary insight is that the pronoun makes the sentence less concise.

C and D both suffer from the bulky (to those of a) as opposed to B's (to a). This simpler phrasing is allowed by rephrasing the bulky language as a possessive (wristwatch's), which is always allowed as long as it does not change the meaning of the sentence.

Ben

Hi Ben,

Could you also suggest some ways to check SV agreement as i get these wrong more often.

Thanks
Samvit

Well, the easiest way to identify subject is that the subject is (by definition) the doer of the verb. So, the way you identify subject is:

1. Identify the verb
2. Identify the doer of the verb - the Subject

In this case, the verb is had and the doer of had is first personal computers. So, that is the subject.

By the way, C, D and E are incorrect because these choices seem to suggest that hardware and software limitations were unable to perform the complex operations...this is clearly absurd.

Between A and B, A looses out because it says that of a modern wristwatch. It should have been those of a modern wristwatch, because the intention is to refer to limitations (plural). that, when used as a demonstrative pronoun (the way it is used here) can only refer to singular nouns.

By the way, this question seems to be a rip-off of the following GMATprep problem:

Neanderthals had a vocal tract that resembled those of the apes and so were probably without language, a shortcoming that may explain why they were supplanted by our own species.

EducationAisle wrote:Well, the easiest way to identify subject is that the subject is (by definition) the doer of the verb. So, the way you identify subject is:

1. Identify the verb
2. Identify the doer of the verb - the Subject

In this case, the verb is had and the doer of had is first personal computers. So, that is the subject.

By the way, C, D and E are incorrect because these choices seem to suggest that hardware and software limitations were unable to perform the complex operations...this is clearly absurd.

Between A and B, A looses out because it says that of a modern wristwatch. It should have been those of a modern wristwatch, because the intention is to refer to limitations (plural). that, when used as a demonstrative pronoun (the way it is used here) can only refer to singular nouns.

By the way, this question seems to be a rip-off of the following GMATprep problem:

Neanderthals had a vocal tract that resembled those of the apes and so were probably without language, a shortcoming that may explain why they were supplanted by our own species.

Hi Ashish,
Thanks for the help.